My novel has now been published

My novel, Triple Whammy, has now been published on Amazon for Kindle.

It's a story of love, friendship and a psychic cat. But don't let that put you off.

Please buy it - here.

It's been at the back of my knicker drawer too long.

Coronation Street Weekly Update, Paul choo-choo-chooses to stay

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here

This week in Corrie, Eileen was chuffed to bits.

Because cancer is a bast*rd

I'm cycling 20 miles on Sunday 2 June in the Sunderland Big Bike Ride.

Last year I did 14 miles for fun, this year I'm doing it for fun and funds - raising charity cash for Cancer Research UK.  If you'd like to sponsor me, please do.

My Justgiving sponsor page is here.

THANK YOU

Singing along to the musicals with Grandma

Today I have indulged myself listening to my two favourite musical soundtracks on CD.  These are, and I certainly couldn't pick a favourite from the two... so in aphabetical order - Half a Sixpence and The Sound of Music.

The reason I love both of them and hold them dear to my heart is that they remind me of grandma. She took me to the ABC in Sunderland when I was a kid to see both films. And if memory serves me right, we went to see both films, just she and I, more than once. Perhaps even, more than twice. 

And while singing along to the soundtracks from my favourite musicals, and thinking of grandma, I also remembered she always used to have a packet of polo mints in her handbag. Everywhere we went together, the polo mints were there. And now, I've usually got a packet of polos in my handbag too.

Review: Pedro Almodóvar - I’m So Excited

I’m a big fan of Pedro Almodóvar films. Since being blown away by Volver at the flicks a few years ago I’ve gone through this director’s back catalogue, now own all his films on DVD box-sets, and have watched most of his films more than once.

Since Volver, I’ve seen all his new films at the flicks and last night I was one of around 4,000 fans in independent cinemas up and down the country to watch his new film, I’m So Excited, in advance of its official UK release on Friday 3 May.

It’s good, it’s camp, it’s funny and in parts it’s rude. I’d see it again, and recommend it highly.

But it doesn’t make it into my Almodóvar Top 5 because, perhaps it’s too camp and too funny, if that makes any sense? There’s the wonderful Almodóvar use of colour, of cartoonish-reality that you find in his other films and in this one there are air stewards miming along to a Pointer Sisters song.

It’s a film that could easily be transferred to the stage, the set of the aeroplane interior was theatrical rather than cinematic.

Bits of the film had me giggling in a way that no other Almodóvar film has done, but yet I didn’t have that sense of awe watching this film, like I had with some of his other films.  Don’t get me wrong, the film is great and I’m not criticising it, but for this fan I prefer some of his other work.

In the Q&A with Almodóvar which followed the film, he talked about his work with some of Spain’s best actresses. His passion and dedication shone through and I did an intake of breath when he said this: “I love these actresses. I don’t just dedicate my time to them. I dedicate my life.”

Wonderful stuff. 

You can also check out Sunny Jim’s appreciation of Almodóvar films here.

See also: Pedro Almodovar's The Skin I Live In

Corrie Weekly Update - troubled kids and pyramids

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here

This week in Corrie, Stinker arrived.

Trio of theatrical treats

To the theatre three times in the last two weeks, so a blog post is due in case you think I've not been out.

First off to the Sunderland Empire to see Priscilla Queen of the Desert, again.

Regular readers (hello!) will know I've already seen this musical once before, in London. It was so good that when it went on tour and came to my local theatre, there was no choice but to see it again.

It was just as good, just as fun as the first time and I loved it all over again.  In the ladies' loo at half-time, I had a giggle at a poster for an upcoming theatre turn - Psychic Sally.  Someone had lipsticked Sally's eyes red and changed the word Psychic to Psycho. Fab.

Theatre visit number two was to the wonderful Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough to see Steve Huison in John Godber's Losing the Plot.

This was a two-hander play of Steve Huison (he played Eddie Windass in Coronation Street) and Susan Cookson who looked very familiar from TV. A quick Google shows she was in Casualty (which I've never watched) but I've seen her in lots of other things on TV too.

Anyway, the play was great and I always think that watching a play in the round at the cosy Stephen Joseph Theatre adds an intimacy for the audience - and I wonder, for the cast? - that you never get anywhere else.

And then to Newcastle's Theatre Royal to see Matthew Bourne's gothic ballet version of Sleeping Beauty.

I'm a huge fan of Matthew Bourne's New Adventure ballets and have seen them all, indeed, have seen some more than once, and in the case of Swan Lake, three times.  Read my reviews of some of his shows here.

So yes, I'm a huge fan of this company's work and Sleeping Beauty was so good it's made it into my top three favourite Matthew Bourne productions of all time.  Or at least I think it has... I can't quite decide as they're all so darn good.

Corrie Weekly Update - putting the fun into funeral

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here

This week in Corrie, Sunita was given a shoddy send off.

Corrie Weekly Update - Dev, death and anniversary schmaltz

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here

This week in Corrie, as with every week in Corrie since she first appeared, Michelle Collins as Stella Price really gets on my nut.

Get rid of her Corrie, please.

Corrie Weekly Update - Tyrone's out, Sylvia's spaced out

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here

This week in Corrie, Tyrone was freed.